by Frank Calvillo
In terms of movie sub-genres, hybrid films are the trickiest to pull down. Blending tones and genres to form a cohesive whole is such a difficult balancing act to master since as a filmmaker, you are essentially asking people to continuously switch between emotions. In a sense, I can see how such films would make sense as some of the truest representations of the real world, since life itself is both comic and tragic. Unfortunately such a notion doesn’t always translate to film successfully, with most efforts, such as the new indie dramedy The Hollars, proving themselves as textbook examples of why the hybrid film is perhaps the most rarest of breeds.
The Hollars focuses on the titular clan: father Don (Richard Jenkins), mother Sally (Margo Martindale), firstborn Ronnie (Sharlto Copley) and youngest son John (John Krasinski, who pulls triple duty here as actor/producer/director), who have all come together when Sally has been diagnosed with a softball-sized brain tumor which requires immediate surgery. Upon reuniting, the Hollar family use the situation to address many of the issues in their lives, which in John’s case, includes a fear of committing to pregnant girlfriend Rebecca (Anna Kendrick).
I’m sorry to say that despite a number of actors in the cast who are more than capable of comedy, The Hollars fails with nearly every laugh it so hopelessly aims for. The majority of the humor-driven scenes throughout the film are so painfully awkward to watch, with every character coming off as worse than they already are simply for having been in the scene in the first place. Moments such as Sally recalling Don’s dismissal of her past symptoms by insisting she was just gaining weight and John’s former classmate (Charlie Day) being almost maniacally resentful of him despite having married his former high school girlfriend (a wasted Mary Elizabeth Winstead) garner no laughs whatsoever, only the feeling that we wish were somewhere else. The comedy wreaks such havoc on the characters that as a result, there’s no one to really like. Seeing Ronnie spy on his ex-wife (whom he dumped) and her new boyfriend makes us feel nothing but distaste, while Rebecca’s initial slight type-A personality endears her to no one.
Though the movie fails on every single comedic level imaginable, it’s incredibly surprising to discover how potent the film works as a drama. The Hollars manages to nail virtually every dramatic moment in its script, making each one feel real and honest. When John comforts a nervous Sally about her surgery, it’s one of the most beautiful examples of a child now taking the reigns and comforting a parent. Likewise, when John comes clean to Rebecca about his fears regarding their future in which he states: “I’m afraid I’m failing you,” to which she lovingly replies: “I wouldn’t be here if you were failing me,” you feel and understand both of them. It’s during moments like these where The Hollars is greatly elevated so much so, that it’s characters transform into sympathetic human beings who ooze out relatability.
As much as the movie is hit-and-miss, props must be given to the cast for rolling with the punches as best they can. It’s a shame that most of them (Jenkins in particular) seem rather helpless in the film’s more comedic moments. Unsurprisingly, the the majority of the actors do better in the film’s more serious scenes where they get to inject real life and pathos into their characters. Kendrick, and especially Martindale shine brightly through the drama, with the latter delivering another superb performance from start to finish.
Solid acting and a handful of moments aside, in the end, there’s nothing novel enough about The Hollars to save it from being lumped together with other dysfunctional family fare such as This is Where I Leave You, The Squid and the Whale and The Royal Tenenbaums. It also doesn’t help matters much that a great deal of material (from Don’s business folding, to Ronnie wanting to get back together with his ex-wife) is packed into the film’s 88 minutes, making the whole thing feel rushed and cramped. The Hollars certainly has much of what it takes to make a telling film about the fears and complications of family, and everyday life in general. Maybe its just got too much of it.
